<p>First remember there’s a huge amount of growing and change that happens between now and Nov 1. </p>
<p>Agree one of you should pull a Common App. The 2012-13 versions won’t come up til about August, but she can see from the 2011-12 what sorts of questions are asked and the formats. Plus, what the schools ask in their supplements. </p>
<p>The two things we asked of D1 at your stage were to get her list of EC’s in order over the summer (beyond the obvious sports or positions- I mean all the little things that might add up to patterns- a committee here, a project there.) And, to occasionally read the pages we had flagged with sticky notes, in the Fiske guide. Each description gives them just a bit more input and ideas to ponder.</p>
<p>For some kids, there’s some Newtonian Law floating right now- if you push too hard, they push back. Even if you are frazzled, try not to show it. Good luck.</p>
<p>ps. one valuable project for this summer is to identify any gaps in ECs, to take some steps to fill them- not to pad, but, eg, if she’s mostly been involved in school sports and clubs, things that focus on the hs and peers, the summer after jr year is a good time to gain some extra experiences- community service or other volunteering, some useful project, part-time job, etc.</p>
<p>The people here will provide you with a lot of choices to consider but they do need some background info.</p>
<ol>
<li> rank - 2nd in class</li>
<li> standardized test scores, SAT/ACT/PSAT, subject tests</li>
<li> GPA</li>
<li><p>ECs - what is she well known for in school</p></li>
<li><p>interest - engineering/pharmacy</p></li>
<li><p>financial position - what can you afford</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I wanted to say I can relate to your concern. I hoped my very busy daughter would work on essays over the summer because I heard that was the ideal… and of course I knew she’d be too busy to do it in the fall with everything else she was doing. One thing that helped us was hiring a professional counselor to have a few meetings with her and us to help set realistic schedules. It took the pressure off of me and helped preserve our relationship. I was able to trust that the counselor would keep her on track. She assured me essays did NOT need to be written in the summer. It’s much more important to first figure out the things mentioned here, type of school etc. I think visiting a few schools is well worth your time and may help your daughter get a better idea of what she wants.</p>
<p>My daughter did end up rushed, and she didn’t do any early admission/ November things, but she had several due December 31. The counselor did help her brainstorm essay ideas. She really needed to research the schools before she was able to write essays anyway.</p>
<p>Try to get a meeting of the minds with your D - either on your own or with a professional. Use the resources here to figure out the financial aspects so you can make a list of schools to consider that ultimately you’ll be able to afford if she gets in.</p>
<p>University of Alabama - Huntsville: about 6,000 undergraduates, has engineering, about $30,000 per year for out of state, large merit scholarships up to full rides available for GPA and ACT/SAT scores</p>
<p>New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology: about 1,300 undergraduates, has engineering, about $29,000 per year out of state, merit scholarship available which reduces cost to in state cost of about $18,000 per year</p>
<p>South Dakota School of Mines and Technology: about 2,400 undergraduates, has engineering, about $23,000 per year out of state</p>
<p>University of Minnesota - Morris: about 2,000 undergraduates, but does not have engineering, about $23,000 per year out of state</p>
<p>Small private schools with engineering include Bucknell, Caltech, Cooper Union, Harvey Mudd, and Swarthmore, but they are all rather difficult to gain admission to.</p>
<p>–MN-Morris charges same tuition for both in- and out-of-state. Total costs come to $19k annually. It is a public LAC without an engineering program but does have a 3-2 option if that is of interest. But the general point that there might be smaller public options should be stressed here, even if engineering is desired. Other places to look in this vein: Missouri Science & Tech, Michigan Tech, UW-Platteville, smaller Purdue campuses (not the big one in West Lafayette). You might even be able to find pharmacy-oriented programs on some of these, too, although pharmacy does tend to be supported at larger schools.</p>
<p>–What you will not find, however, are pharmacy and engineering programs in which work is minimal. She should be clear about that. However there is something to be said for going to a school where she is above the curve for most admits and that offers the programs she wants. This might end up being less stressful–both academically and financially (if merit scholarships can be had).</p>
<p>–Printing the Common App (2012-13 preview copies are already available) might be a fine way to get an idea of what an application is like, but the CA itself will be of limited use if public schools are included in your search. For the most part each of these will have their own app system to contend with.</p>
<p>–In general this has been a good thread filled with excellent ideas about your D’s search in general and her motivation in particular. You do have the right idea about getting her to jump start her essays while she has time in the summer but perhaps you should settle for having only rough drafts, even just idea outlines, done by then.</p>
<p>–BTW, Nov. 1 is typically an early-program app deadline. Are you sure you didn’t mistake this date for the regular-app deadline? You might have a little more time than you think.</p>
<p>^^our public high school in the midwest will be all over the seniors when they return in the fall. They have an Oct. 31 “deadline” of sorts where the GCs meet with the college bound seniors and the expectation is that they will have apps completed and ready to send or at the very least a firm list of colleges. At that meeting they will also expect the essay nearly completed. So it’s not inconceivable that someone would have November 1 imprinted in the brain. The essay is generally the first assignment in AP English and other senior English classes in our district. OP I agree that the most important thing you can do this summer is get a list together of colleges worthy of applications and to have an understanding and conversation about finances. If your D looks at an application that is good and if your D starting mulling possible essays in her head you will be ahead of the game.</p>
<p>To the OP–I agree your daughter needs some downtime to let her mind clear but I think it might help your stress level for <em>you</em> to do as much research as you want. I spent lots (and <em>lots</em>) of hours online exploring things before any of my kids really got interested. It was really fun for me! I gathered information in a spreadsheet for when my kids were ready to think about it. And, as I’ve posted often, kids are different–my oldest didn’t send in a single application until January of his senior year, and my middle had half of his finished in September and the other half in November. </p>
<p>I’ve maintained that the toughest thing about the essay is deciding on a topic. Maybe later this summer you could discuss this with her (casually–without writing anything yet). It’d be great to have something of a draft before school starts, but that could really wait until August, right? Or maybe the early weeks of school, before classes have really ramped up?</p>
<p>It might also help if she could get a little interested in a school or two with EA. I think those EA deadlines are <em>great</em> for helping them get their essay(s) finished.</p>
<p>We also did a lot of the background research- we were better able to judge what we saw in course lists and dept info, extra programs like travel or internship suppport. Plus the finaid learning and getting ourselves ready for that paperwork. Also, as she decided about other factors (social life, attractiveness, campus activity choices she might ike, etc,) we could help filter or promote. A lot of this was to reassure us that she was pointing at a list of choices we thought would happily carry her through 4 years. Once they get revved up, as the list narrows a bit and they can envision themselves at those places, they get more engaged.</p>
<p>A good essay isn’t what works for a hs paper. In fact, that’s a good reason to put a little time between finishing jr year (which has more hs writing) and facing the essay.</p>
<p>OP,
Students like your D. will be successful at any place. If you considering a price tag, then apply at schools that are known for Merit awards. My D. was #1 in her pirvate prep. HS class and attended State Public on full tuition Merit award. Honor colleges are qawesome, classes are really small and all of her classes were taught by profs., not TAs. We applied only to schools that are known for good Merit packages to top caliber students. She had many valedictorians at her Honors college, kids like her from private and public HSs. The application process was driven by my D., I do not know how to make them start it. D. took ACT one time. D’s PSAT was not high enough to be semi-finalist.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t count on rough drafts, but certainly by downloading the common application and any other applications that seem likely to be on the list, you can get a good idea of what is going to be asked. We used to periodically have discussions about what one might write an essay about over dinner. Son was always very good at shooting down anything we thought of, but I think it helped to have ideas percolating in the back of his mind. In the end one of the ideas which he was sure wouldn’t work for the main essay (he was right) turned out to be perfect for the “What was your favorite EC” essay. It’s probably not a bad idea to read some of the books of sample essays like Harry Bauld’s or Digmedia’s advice here on CC or in his book: [Amazon.com:</a> Concise Advice: Jump-Starting Your College Admissions Essays (Second Edition) (9780974386720): Robert Cronk: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/dp/0974386723]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/dp/0974386723). </p>
<ol>
<li><p>In previous posts on other threads, you noted that a rough estimation of your EFC was $10,000 - $11,000, and you wrote that it would be difficult to come up with that amount. So financial considerations are going to be a strong component of the college search for your d. You are not happy with your in-state options, and would prefer that your daughter go to school OOS. But with an expectation to pay $10,000 - $11,000 for college, do you think it’s realistic? I would suggest that you and she find some financial safeties in state. </p></li>
<li><p>Yes, she is #2 in her class, but as you noted it is a small private school. She is #2 out of 40 in the class, so that is in the top 5%. Nothing wrong with that (it is great!), but it isn’t the same as being in the top 1%. Some scholarships/merit awards wants students to be in the very top percentile.</p></li>
<li><p>Curriculum. You wrote that she is taking one AP course, which seems to be the only one offered. Did I interpret you correctly? Some top private schools do not offer AP courses, as they believe that their courses are better than AP courses. But the fact that your school does offer one makes me wonder what that means. If the school’s curriculum is better than AP, then why do they offer an AP course at all? Do you feel that your daughter has had an adequate college preparation?</p></li>
<li><p>Standardized testing. You noted that your daughter doesn’t do well with timed tests, and that you expected her to get around a 24 on the ACT. She was going to take a course, and you wrote in this thread that she’s taken the ACT three times. How did she end up doing? The answer to that may make a big difference in the kind of scholarships/merit awards she will get that will make a true dent in the cost of a private college.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>". Standardized testing. You noted that your daughter doesn’t do well with timed tests, and that you expected her to get around a 24 on the ACT. She was going to take a course, and you wrote in this thread that she’s taken the ACT three times. How did she end up doing? The answer to that may make a big difference in the kind of scholarships/merit awards she will get that will make a true dent in the cost of a private college. "
-I agree with that. The goal is somewhere 32+. it could be achieved thru self-prep using customized to personal needs plan. As one example, focus on strong subject vs weak one might pay off. If Reading is a problem, it is very hard to improve. However, math could be brought up considerably and in very short period of time to compensate for low Reading score. This is just one example. Keep in mind that ACT math is primarily middle school material that many kids need to re-fresh. More so it is applicable to advanced kids who have been taking calcs in HS. </p>
<p>If engineering is a goal, one school is very well know for Engineering and for Merit awards - Case Western. In addition, your state does not matter as Case is private school. I am sure there are others, I am just very familiar with this one.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great input. She is considering engineering but that is just a thought. Her ACT is 29 and she hasn’t really looked at any schools that are real reaches. We just got back from the University of Kentucky. She liked it but had a couple of issues that are not killers. We have 2 more tours this summer and one is a financial safety that she claims she doesn’t like. I told her she needed to look at it anyway. We are looking at Bradley too. She is starting to have a lot of self doubts and I think they will pass. She really enjoyed Kentucky and hope the next two go well also.</p>
<p>We don’t do a lot of chance threads in the parent section, but I will say that your scores look okay for Rose Hulman. It is a great school, but I always counsel people to visit. It is small, there is a gender imbalance, but the professors are very caring.</p>